Category Archives: Taxidermy

BackWoods Taxidermy: Favorite Trophies of 2017

This years competition for the Best Taxidermy Job goes to John and his family. The reward for his submission is a free mount, with a value up to $250. This can be used for any type of mountable trophy, our price list is found here.

Overall, we had an excellent turnout with both new and old hunters taking part. If you have any questions, or would like to see a full list of submitted projects contact us here.

Best Trophy of 2017 Taxidermy Jobs

This years winner goes to the below trophy. This bear was tracked for two days before it was finally shot and killed. John, the hunter, has been bear hunting in the Midwest for the last three years and was finally able to get himself a trophy. We worked hard to cover up the gunshot wound which killed the bear. In fact, the wound isn’t visible at all after our excellent mounting job.

The pose was chosen by Johns wife, who wishes to have this on display in their basement next to the entertainment set.

Large Bear trophy

Runner Up Trophy 2017 Taxidermy Jobs

This years runner up goes to Al, down in Ohio. This year he traveled West to the ocean and went on a 3 day fishing cruise with some of his coworkers. Al works as a general contractor during the day, but is very passionate about fishing, hunting, and camping.

This fish is one of the largest we have had the chance to mount, and proved a great challenge. However; we finally delivered this finished mount to Al, who is hanging it up over his fireplace.

Graytaxidermy.com

Third Place Trophy 2017 Taxidermy Jobs

This years third place trophy goes to a young man in Wisconsin who shot his first turkey at the age of 14. His father, a local window contractor, submitted this image on his sons behalf. The young man has joined his father hunting in a cabin since the age of 12, and has gone hunting for the past two years. However; this is his first wild turkey that he has ever shot and tracked himself.

He is a very hard worker, and has been helping his father in his window installation business over the last summer. He aspires to a be a window contractor outside of Milwaukee when he grows up, just like his father.

Great work, and great talent. We wish you the best in next years taxidermy competition.

We approach the sports seasons, and the current point of establishing prices arises indefinitely, meaning demand is going to spike, and so will prices! My brother Austin and I have been in the taxidermy business for a combined 40 years or more. We have produced multiple mounts for athletes, sporting best retailers, restaurant strings and even contract from other taxidermists, etc.

Taxidermy and mounting game has enabled us to sustain our lives and paying for our daily needs and other bills from the taxidermy itself. How we achieved this business to success, don’t allow someone else actions direct us. We know what our competitors are performing doing, but never initiated our prices according to what they are selling but instead, we are independent and attract customers through our means.

Contacting Your Mounting Audience

What you do as a business person is more important than your price tags. The cost should be the last thing the clients ask. Think of branding yourself and the business before even setting prices. Branding is always more than just a creative logo and high-quality work. Your website is a necessity; it should be quick in response, modern and highly ranked.

You also need a Facebook page, and it should be an option but your business necessity. Ensure you have a licensed shop and even a display/showroom decent for customers to come for their favorite taxidermy outfits.Dress professionally and make sure you answer the phone during working hours! Be kind and be sure to answer your clients are staing the business name even if you are not at the job that very minute. Ensure you reply the client’s emails, and also the texts professionally. Put out quality work and be consistent.

Get training on your areas of weakness. Want vs. Need. Check at your expense to ensure you make a profit. Don’t get caught up in high numbers that you end up blocking out the reality picture. Taking in business for the only sake of defeating your competitors or getting them out of business is not advisable.

Just focus on what you need to be doing. Make your brand useful and head on the right track to make the money you target, not only what you need. Examine what it holds initiating your prices in the desired aim will not usually work for you. No matter how great your taxidermy is, some items won’t go at first terminal prices.

There are many issues and factors resulting to this, e.g.demographics, demand and supply and also the location. If you can’t achieve the price you want on one thing, try to differ the offer or push some other items until you find one that tends to attract potential customers. When you achieve the price target, run with it. It is okay to have some necessary pricing associated with what you want to price as you move towards all want zone pricing.It is a continuous process in the life of the business.

Setting The Mounting Price

Example:-Whitetail Mount Pricing-Fellow taxidermists price in our area charge:
$ 450 Price to keep up in the business
$ 550 for what they want to get to make a livable profit
$ 695 for mounts which require additional care or special mounting poses.

Dealing with competition, Let the lower priced rivals have the price purchasing customers. Nothing will eliminate the competitors than customer complaints and even low-quality work.If this is your profession, do you want clients to come back always since your sales price is low? You are a craftsman and an artisan. Stand strong and get clients who value your job.Seek sound advice You should take advice from experienced and successful taxidermists

Taxidermy is preserving the body of the animal for study or display. It includes stuffing or mounting the animals. The first and foremost task of the hunter is the good field care. Here are some of the tips for mounting perfectly which helps to expertise in taxidermy.

Mounting Practices of Various Birds

Evaluating the bird first before mounting helps in performing quality-mounting. The picked bird should not have pin feathers or broken bones. A prime bird will be the best for taxidermy. The trophy should be clean, if there is any blood on the feathers using a water to wipe it off with a towel would be best. Take a cotton piece or a paper towel and block the nasal or throat passages. The plugging helps to shield the plumage from any kinds of fluids. If the taxidermy can’t be performed right away tuck the bird’s head under the wing, take a plastic bag and wrap the bird in it. Roll up the bag and expel the air stocked up in the bag. Do the same process with the second bag too. Squeezing out the air prevents the body from freezer burns.

Mounting Practices of Various Birds

Roll up the fish in a towel. While doing so, place the fins of the fish flat against its body. Make sure the towel is wet. Now, instead of using paper or cardboard, use a plastic bag to wrap the fish and put it in the freezer. Here are the steps to be followed for the purpose of reproduction:

Make a note of the length of the fish

Note down the fish’s widest girth point

Capture color photos of the fish in various angles (optional)

Mounting Practices of Various Mammals

Mounting the smaller mammals life-sized makes the taxidermist skillful. If the taxidermist is not an expert but is a novice, then let the animal body to cool down. Wrap up the entire mammal’s body in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Mammals are the easiest subjects for the learners to begin taxidermy with. Whatever species the mammal may belong to, the taxidermy includes skinning, removing the eyes and hiding the muscle tissue.

Caping Deer for Shoulder Mount

Identifying the first three cuts are very important. The cuts begin from behind the legs and runs till the armpits. From armpits go straight to the animal’s stomach. Now skin the animal back from the cuts. Skin all the way from neck to jawline. Cut the head from neck. Sharp knives do the job faster. Keep the hide clean both inside and outside. If the trophy can’t be taken to the taxidermist immediately, freeze it by using good quality bags.

Some Handy Mounting Tips

Freezing the trophy is only a temporary solution. If the body stays in the freezer for a long time, freezer burns will occur. So the body should be taken to the taxidermist as early as possible.

Dragging the deer from woods should be done carefully without pulling against its hair patterns.

A quack taxidermy is more costly than funny. Sure you will laugh at the deer with the bulging eyes, the smiling lips and the plugged up nose. Or the duck that looks electrocuted, the luminous bass, I could go on forever. But when it all boils down to pressing matters, the taxidermy’s work will be an insult to both the animal and the hunting sportsman. Plus I am pretty sure no one hangs their game trophies for comedic purposes.

Finding a Quality Taxidermist

Nowadays the chances of a good huntsman stumbling upon a poor taxidermist are surprisingly very high. Most sportsmen settle on the cheaper options which, more often than not, tend to result in sheer disappointment. With the overwhelming number of half-bred taxidermist available, finding the right taxidermist for the job might prove a daunting task. The trick is, however, approaching the situation from a reasonable, rather than a financial angle.

Now the easiest way to gauge the professionalism of your taxidermist is by flooding him with a lot of questions. The questions should, of course, be centered on your hunt and the taxidermy services rendered. Good questions to ask are like how long the trophy is expected to last, how long should the process take and the taxidermist’s education and experience. These are of course only a few of the many questions you could ask. You could also take note of the taxidermist’s behaviour, the organisation of his studio and the way he presents himself too. An important factor to also consider is the price the taxidermist offers. Remember, if the deal is too good, think twice.

Proper taxidermists tend to be neat and presentable and so are their studios. They are also articulate and well versed in taxidermy. If you find your answers to your questions are prompt but well thought, then you are likely to have your game in safe hands. On the contrary, if the respondents are jittery, hesitant to answer questions and has no viable evidence of previous work, then steer clear from them. Your hunt is in better hands with third graders in their arts and crafts class. These taxidermists are often matched with dirty, disorganized studios, or no studios at all. Just some basement in their mother’s house.

Taxidermy Pricing

The price might be a little higher, but any sportsman knows you can’t put a price on good taxidermy. Good taxidermists usually have a knack for their job, from the pose they select for the animal to the habitat they choose. They transcend the profession of taxidermy to become artists who, not just mount your game, but create a unique and lifelike masterpiece to add to your collection. The only fear you might have with such professionals is having your hunt come back to life.

Our Taxidermy Prices

At Backwoods Taxidermy, we pride ourselves on providing the best service in taxidermy. Our services are designed to cater to the specific needs of our client for quality output. We at Backwoods Taxidermy take time to explain your various options and answer all your questions to make sure you are confident with the decision you make. Our mounts are made with top quality material to give your hunt a perfect finish. We also provide reasonable rates for such expedient service. Visit our studio anytime to see for yourself what exceptional taxidermy is all about.